A data center is a facility that houses computer equipment and related components. Data centers typically include many server computers and the auxiliary equipment that is used to keep the servers running. The servers in data centers are used to host various functions, such as web applications, e-mail accounts, enterprise file servers, etc.
A data center is not merely a building in which servers are stored and operated. In addition to computing and data storage resources, data centers provide resistance to certain types of failures. A given data center may be expected to remain functional for some amount of time in the event of a power failure, may be expected to operate regardless of temperature or other weather conditions, and may be expected to implement some level of physical security and resistance to fire or natural disasters. There may be various other types of expectations placed on a data center. Thus, in addition to housing the computer equipment that performs the data center's core function of providing the computing resources to host applications, a data center also typically houses power backup equipment (e.g., backup generators, uninterruptable power supplies, etc.), cooling equipment, fire protection equipment, etc.
Data centers are scalable in a number of different senses. One way in which a data center may be scaled is to increase or decrease the computing capacity of the data center—e.g., by increasing or decreasing the number of server machines at the data center. However, other types of scalability relate to the expectations placed on the data center. Data centers may meet various different performance and reliability standards—sometimes referred to as “levels”—and one sense in which a data center may be scaled is to modify the data center to meet higher or lower performance or reliability standards. For example, one level may involve some amount of backup power and cooling equipment, and another level may involve a different amount of backup power and cooling equipment and, perhaps, some fire resistance or increased security that is not present in the first level.
Data centers may be modularized and expandable. For example, a self-contained group of servers may be put in a movable container (e.g., a shipping container or modular enclosure) along with the power equipment, cooling equipment, etc., involved in operating those servers. These modules may be pre-fabricated and then moved to the location at which the data center is to be installed. If it is decided to increase the capacity of the data center, an additional module may be added.
While it is possible to modularize data centers to increase their size or capacity, individual functionalities generally have not been modularized. In some cases, there may be reason to increase or decrease some particular functionality of a data center—e.g., the center's resistance to fire, power failure or adverse weather conditions.